Slashdot Mirror


User: the_argent

the_argent's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
72
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 72

  1. and... on How the Spam Industry is Sustained · · Score: 1

    "If no-one responded to junk e-mail and didn't buy products sold in this way, then spam would be as extinct as the dinosaurs."
    And if everyone promised that they wouldn't need cranberries on Thanksgiving, every convienence store in the U.S. could be closed. But that aint gonna happen either.

  2. Who will manage these? on The Rise of Smart Buildings · · Score: 5, Funny

    At first, probably IT. Then, after they've been around a few years, IT will get replaced with the boss's nephew that's "really good with computers".

  3. Epic just got closer to truth on Google Adds News Personalization · · Score: 3, Interesting
  4. Re:MS Chat? on Instant Messaging Goes Graphical · · Score: 1

    At least someone's still using it Jerkcity NSFW and it doesn't make alotta sense either. Come to think of it, it's just like IRC.....

  5. Re:I dunno on VoIP And Cell Phones Eroding Traditional Telecoms · · Score: 1

    I had that same problem till I ignored how Vonage told me to set up the phone/router and put it behind my smoothwall firewall. Haven't had a bit of trouble since.

  6. Re:The past is a poor crystal ball on Net Phone Customers Brace For 'VoIP Spam' · · Score: 1

    Well, I think the trick with Vonage (I'm a subscriber too) is that I have a non standard prefix for my area code. Telemarketers probably see it as not being associated with a land line and it gets lumped into the "cell phone" category and doesn't get called. Now, this probably will get re-aligned once this type of service get's more popular.

  7. Crap CD's from what I hear.... on Kansas AG Rejects Settlement Discs · · Score: -1, Redundant

    There was a story in our local paper about the types of CD's that they are sending out to the libraries as part of the settlement. A single library will get like 18 copies of Whitney Houston singing the national anthem. The article made it seem like they were just dumping crap CD's off to the libraries.

  8. Re:All hackers are "great" on Paul Graham On 'Great Hackers' · · Score: 1

    Well, Seeing as the Bros. Wright opereated a bicycle shop to pay the bills, I'm sure they adapted at least part of the gearing and drive train knowledge and/or parts to thier proto-type aircraft.
    And the "fully flight capable" aircraft would be defined by the length and air time sustained by thier first craft. I can build anything I want and call it an aircraft, but it doesn't necessarily make it so, now does it? And as for them pursuing copyright infringement, that I did not know.

  9. Re:All hackers are "great" on Paul Graham On 'Great Hackers' · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The best non-techical reference for a hacker to get the point across to people that I've used is the Wright bros. They used bicycles to build a fully flight capable aircraft. If they tried to do that today, they would get procecuted under some form of the DMCA. Thank god they weren't born under the current hampering of innovation that we face....

  10. sooo? on U2 Threatens to Release Album Early on iTunes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If it's available for free on P2P networks, we'll make it available for people to buy online?

    Just don't get that.........

  11. Re:Mainly the startup times... on Is the Linux Desktop Getting Heavier and Slower? · · Score: 1

    Good point, I didn't take that into consideration at all. That definately requires consideration.

  12. Re:Mainly the startup times... on Is the Linux Desktop Getting Heavier and Slower? · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I used to think this way too about why word loaded faster than OO. It's already got it's pieces parts loaded into memory...

    But if that's true, then why does word still load faster if I'm using the Crossover Office plug-in under linux? That removes all of the pre-loaded .dll arguments, now doesn't it?

  13. That's the first step.... on "Buffalo Spammer" Gets 3.5 to 7 Years · · Score: 1

    Now someone start a rumour in the jail that he was peddling child pornography too. Let him get a nice warm welcome.....

  14. Considering.... on A Ready-Made MythTV Set-Top Box in Australia · · Score: 4, Interesting

    That the creator of Myth TV is currently out of work, I would like to see some type of money go to him from this.

  15. Re:All about credibility on Microsoft at the Tipover Point · · Score: 1

    Devil's advocate here a bit....
    But Linux isn't free, it takes an investment of time to learn, which has as much if not more dollar value as actual real world dollars.

    (That being said, I am a linux advocate as well. But I think that companies looking for a quick return of
    TCO have their sights set too close. It will give that value, but only after being pushed out a bit time-wise.)

  16. Re:Here on the Hell Desk... on Stop Christmas-Gift PCs From Feeding Worms · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It may seem wrong to you personally, but it *is* outside the scope of your job. You are a help desk to get people connected to the internet, not their personal windows guru. If they want windows help, let them call the PC manufacturer.
    If we use a car idea model, that would be the difference between calling the DMV/BMV to ask how to change your oil, or have them explain why it's important to do so.

  17. Re:I think my form of encryption is better on RSA-576 Factored · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or my personal favorite....

    Double ROT13.

    Which incidently, is hereby covered under the DMCA, if you manage to decipher it will be fully procecutable under the fullest extent of the law.

  18. Obligatory.... on Linux PCs Drive 74-Channel Pipe Organ · · Score: 1

    They like it loud, do you know?

  19. Sliding Scale on Real Security? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I've always tried to balance system security against how much of a pain in the ass it will be to the end user. If the PIA threshold is too high, the more likely the end user will try to navigate around it.

  20. Re:Fine.... on IBM Releases Desktop Linux Presentation · · Score: 1

    From the looks of that, it seems like they are talking about thin client access, which to me would mean INotes over a java enabled browser. Which isn't what I would consider a "native" linux client.

  21. Fine.... on IBM Releases Desktop Linux Presentation · · Score: 1

    But where's the native linux Lotus Notes client???

  22. The old standby.... on Best Online Mapping Site? · · Score: 1

    If you are in the US, go with AAA. You can now get one of their TripTik maps right online and print it out. I picked up their service at the beginning of summer and have really liked the web interface for finding directions. It will even show hotels and resteraunts close to your destination and allow you to add them to your route easily.

  23. Re:Great excuse! :) on Packet Juggling - Floating Data Storage · · Score: 1
    It would be interesting to build a SAN in this manner, just for academic's sake ;-)
    Is that in a "Oh shit here comes the RIAA, hide the porn and MP3's" academic sake?
  24. Why all or nothing? on MS Psychologist on How We Read · · Score: 1

    I think the method that we choose is more dependant on the situation that we are trying to read in. If I'm driving in an unfamiliar neighborhood and trying to find a street sign, I'm more likely to look for a word shape that will correspond to what I'm looking for. The same can be used if I'm scanning a large log file looking for a particular word or phrase. If I get a quick glance at a page of text, I'll be more apt to use the parralel word recognition. If I'm reading a paperback, I'll look at the letters in a serial fashion.
    Again, why does it have to be just one method that is used?

  25. Re:To Be Specific.... on Anniversary of the First Computer Bug · · Score: 1

    I'll sacrifice some Karma just to get this up the scale a bit. Up the "informative" on the parent, Gracie Hopper was one of the most interesting female geeks on the planet and needs more recognition in this story.